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THREE out of four people who ask for emergency support from the Salvation Army in northern Victoria are living on either Newstart, a disability pension or on parenting allowances.
The Salvation Army released the statistics for the 2014 calendar year this week as it begins to raise funds for the Red Shield Appeal.
Seventy-two per cent of people who seek help in the region have children and 46 per cent are sole parents.
The northern Victoria region covers Mildura to the state's north east, and down to Bendigo.
In Bendigo, the Salvation Army Community Support Office received 1300 clients - representing 3500 to 4000 people - during 2014.
Captain Craig Wood said single parents, those who have suffered domestic violence and people with drug problems made up a large proportion of people seeking help in Bendigo.
"Most clients are presenting with issues relating to alcohol and/or ice," he said.
"What used to be gambling as a main issue has now been taken over by ice and domestic violence."
Northern Victoria region received 6746 clients at its 19 sites - including 61 per cent female, nine per cent of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island descent (highest in the state) and 19 per cent living in public housing.
From May 2014 to May 2015, Bendigo's Salvation Army residential drug rehabilitation program saw 80 participants put through the six week program.
Thirty of these were clients with pending legal issues.
Captain Wood said problems facing families were only becoming worse in central Victoria.
"Homelessness is obviously a significant issue in urban Melbourne, where it's very visible and you see people sleeping on the streets," he said.
"You don't see that here in Bendigo, but it is a problem.
"People don't have stable accommodation, they sleep on couches or where ever they can."
The Salvation Army released a national survey of 2406 visitors to their community support services, which found those on Newstart had just $9.57 a day to live off after accommodation expenses.
The average of people attending the centres was $17.86 per day.
